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DuPont
DuPont is a city in Pierce County, Washington. The population was 8,199 at the 2010 census. History The Nisqually tribe arrived in the area at least 5700 years ago, subsisting on shellfish from the beaches and salmon from Sequalitchew Creek. Captain George Vancouver mapped the area in 1792, and in 1833, the Hudson's Bay Company established a fur trading post at Fort Nisqually. The fort was relocated upstream in 1843. The first school in the area was the Nisqually Methodist Mission school, which operated from 1840 through 1842. Chloe A. Clark was appointed teacher at the mission school. The first public school was established in 1852, and in 1869, the federal government auctioned the site off to settlers. In 1906, DuPont purchased a 5-square-mile (13 km2) area for construction of an explosives plant. By 1909, the company town had more than 100 houses. DuPont was officially incorporated on March 26, 1912, and was re-incorporated in 1951. In 1970, the population was 384. By 1980, the population was over 550 people. 1990 had the population at 592 and in 2000 the population was 2,452. By 2010, DuPont had 8,199 citizens. DuPont has recently undergone a modern transformation as the modern planned community of "Northwest Landing" has been realized. The city is expected to have a built out population of 12,000+ when completely finished. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.88 square miles, of which, 5.86 square miles is land and 0.02 square miles is water. The Nisqually River mouth is just to the west of DuPont. Lacey is just 8 miles to the west and Olympia just a little bit further. Joint Base Lewis-McChord takes up DuPont's southern and eastern borders with Camp Murray encircled from the massive base. Further east is the former settlement of Hillhurst and Spanaway. Anderson Island is to the northwest and Ketron Island to the north as are the former settlement's of Eastward and Ketron. Northeast is Steilacoom. Climate DuPont's climate is mild during summer when temperatures tend to be in the 60's and cold during winter when temperatures tend to be in the 40's. The warmest month of the year is August with an average maximum temperature of 76.60 degrees Fahrenheit, while the coldest month of the year is January with an average minimum temperature of 35.10 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperature variations between night and day tend to be moderate during summer with a difference that can reach 21 degrees Fahrenheit, and fairly limited during winter with an average difference of 13 degrees Fahrenheit. The annual average precipitation at DuPont is 38.95 Inches. Winter months tend to be wetter than summer months. The wettest month of the year is November with an average rainfall of 6.10 Inches. City Layout DuPont is divided into several "villages", each with their own design style and/or building contractors. Northwest Landing is the most visible due to a sign along the freeway announcing it. Several businesses have opened in the downtown area, but development has slowed in recent years. Hoffman Hill is the largest in size, and houses about 60% of the total population. The Historic Village, a residential area, is the only part of DuPont that is not a modern planned community and is on the registry of historic places. Bell Hill is considered the most expensive area. Dupont has trails and green belts throughout, and is about 95% built out according to the master plan. Sections that remain empty are stalled due to economic conditions, or pre-existing activities that prevent development until completed. Category:Pierce County Category:Cities & Towns Category:Washington State Wiki